The senator representing the Federal Capital Territory, Ireti Kingibe, has narrated how she and many others were attacked by hoodlums at the headquarters of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) on Thursday.
Mrs Kingibe said the attack occurred when she visited the party’s secretariat to observe the distribution of materials for the ADC National Assembly primaries in the FCT.
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She alleged that shortly after she arrived at the premises, a man she identified as “Tijani Mubarak” led a group of hoodlums into the office where the materials were being distributed.
The senator stated that some officials questioned Mr Mubarak’s identity, but he allegedly became angry and violent, eventually slapping a chairman in the room.
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She narrated the incident in a statement shared on X on Saturday.
“Shortly after most committee members had left, a man identified as Tijani Mubarak entered the room, accompanied by four others. We offered him a seat and responded to his greetings. I asked the accompanying menman wait downstairs but he declined. However, the moment he introduced himself, the chairman asked if he was the one who had called earlier in the day.
“Instantly, Mubarak became rude and aggressive, raising his voice and speaking in an accusatory manner. When the chairman rightfully stated that he would not tolerate such disrespect and had nothing further to say to him, Mubarak stood up and violently slapped the chairman of the committee,” she said.
Assaulting participants
Mrs Kingibe said a female House of Representatives aspirant who witnessed the scene attempted to record the incident, but the thugs allegedly seized her phone and assaulted her.
“Seeing the danger, a female House of Representatives aspirant present began using her phone to record the altercation. Infuriated by this, Mubarak ordered his thugs to seize her phone. These men violently grabbed the female aspirant, lifting her entirely off the ground toward the ceiling as they aggressively wrestled her for the device, injuring her hands in the process. She eventually gave the phone to some supporter nearby and she was released,” she narrated.
![Ireti Kingibe [PHOTO: X @ireti_kingibe]](https://i0.wp.com/media.premiumtimesng.com/wp-content/files/2023/11/Ireti-Hebba-Kingibe-2.webp?resize=1000%2C557&ssl=1)
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The senator further alleged that after attacking the female aspirant, the hoodlums also assaulted her and slammed her against a wall.
“As I witnessed this lawlessness, one of Mubarak’s men turned on me. He reached out, grabbed me, and flung me violently against the wall, hitting my head against the wall with severe force.
“As the assailant advanced toward me to continue his assault, my security detail courageously stepped between us, engaging and fighting the thug to keep him away from me, while others joined in pulling the attacker back,” she narrated.
Mrs Kingibe alleged that the suspected thug leader later locked the exit door, trapping those inside the room.
“Realising he was losing control of the room, Mubarak ran to the exit door, locked it, and trapped us inside with himself and his armed thugs. Outside, my supporters fought desperately to rescue us, eventually breaking the door down. In the ensuing scuffle, my supporters created a pathway, allowing me out of the room to head downstairs. Immediately, I brought Dr Fatima downstairs with me to safety.
“However, our escape was deliberately thwarted. Upon reaching the ground floor, we discovered that Mubarak’s men had already locked the main exit door and fled with the key. This single action completely exposed their intent: this was a planned, deliberate, and premeditated ambush designed to hold us hostage and inflict maximum harm.
“Through sheer determination, ADC members and supporters outside managed to retrieve the key and force the downstairs door open. Even then, a violent brawl persisted outside between Mubarak’s thugs and party members. My supporters were forced to place Dr Fatima and me at the back of the room, barricading us behind a heavy table for our protection,” she stated.
The senator added that the alleged thug leader was eventually beaten by party supporters before he fled the premises.
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